Events

 

“It’s a pleasure to compose new music with a specific musician in mind who will perform it,” says Scofield, whose relationship with Clayton is deeply personal: “I’ve known Gerald since he was a boy because his father, bassist John Clayton, is a longtime friend of mine. Over the years, Gerald and I have occasionally toured together and developed a real mutual understanding—he is, without a doubt, one of the finest pianists I’ve ever worked with.”

 

Scofield has been one of the most important names on the global jazz scene for decades. His music blends post-bop, funk, soul, and R&B into a recognizable sound. A virtuoso of improvisation, he left his mark on jazz with his guitar skills as early as the late 1970s, and his artistic voice still resonates powerfully on the scene. He has collaborated and recorded with greats such as Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, and Miles Davis, as well as Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Tony Williams, Jim Hall, Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden, Mavis Staples, and many others. 

Always open to new sounds and ideas, he is among the most versatile jazz musicians of our time. In addition to performing almost 200 days a year around the world with his own ensembles, he also works as an adjunct professor at New York University. 

 

The performance in the Wednesdays at Lisinski program will be Scofield's third appearance in Zagreb, following the Vip Zagreb Jazz Festival in 2014 and the Zagreb Guitar Festival in 2017.

 

Gerald Clayton is a pianist and hammond player of exceptional expressiveness and refined sensitivity, whose harmonic curiosity creates astonishing musical narratives. Four-time Grammy nominee, he has collaborated with stars such as Diana Krall, Roy Hargrove, Dianne Reeves, Ambrose Akinmusire, and Avishai Cohen. For two consecutive years, he served as musical director for the Monterey Jazz Festival tour. As the son of renowned double bassist and composer John Clayton, Gerald grew up with a musical role model who influenced his music—a celebration of diversity and improvisation that comes naturally, as a personal response to the moment.